Q: My family has a favorite spot for swimming and fishing that’s accessible on Lake Travis from a public road. This summer, access to the lake from this road is blocked by a local resident who is using the lake for his own enjoyment. Is this legal?

A: Private citizens can’t block a public roadway – but they can block access to their own property. With Lake Travis at a six-year low due to the drought, folks may be trespassing on his land to get to the lake. Check your local city or county tax records to determine who owns the access point. If it’s the resident, then you’ll need his permission to cross his property to use the lake – at least until the lake elevation returns to a level (and it will, eventually) where you can access it from the public road.

Q: Is bow fishing legal on the Colorado River below Town Lake to the coast?

A: Bow fishing is allowed as long as you follow Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations. The sport is prohibited on lakes Bastrop and Fayette; no weapons are allowed on these lakes, which provide cooling water for the electric generating units at the Lost Pines Power Park and Fayette Power Project. LCRA also has a pilot bow-fishing program on the Highland Lakes.

Q: I would like to pan for gold in the Llano River. Do I need some type of permit to do this?

A. You’ll need a permit from the Texas General Land Office. Call in Austin at (512) 463-5001. Also be careful not to trespass on private property to get to your panning site (while the riverbed is public property, most property fronting the river is not). If you can’t access your site from a public area, be sure to get the landowner’s permission.

Have a question about LCRA or its operations, facilities and programs? E-mail your question to ASKLCRA@lcra.org.